Project ThKr2
by IamAbotticelli
Summary: This is a crossover because I am using YJ's Superboy origins as background but it will be set far in the future of YJ. This is the story of another Cadmus project that existed before Superboy was created and grew up in Metropolis.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: The Cadmus Facility

"But we have learned so much from this project, why are we shutting it down?" asked Doctor Jane Lewis as she brushed a pale golden lock of hair back behind her ear, her hand sweeping past the G-Gnome on her shoulder.

"Our leaders wish for us to concentrate on Project Kr and they feel that neither Project ThKr2 nor the Subject are useful in this area." Mark Desmond, the Director of Cadmus, replied. He was an older man with greying long brown hair that was tied in a ponytail and dark edge to his eyes that hinted at the monster that lay underneath; always waiting to bubble to the surface like molten iron hidden by a black layer of slag.

"But we have learned so much, especially after the combination of Project Th and Project Kr2. There is still so much we can learn, at least give me a few more days!"

"Your Project has provided essential information that will help our future projects to succeed unlike our previous failures, you should be proud. But I am sorry Doctor Lewis; it is time for your Project to end." Dr Desmond smiled, his lifeless mud brown eyes assessing her as the G-Gnome that sat on Jane's shoulder began to glow. She tried to speak but she faltered and stopped before even a single syllable could be heard. Her blue-grey eyes seemed to glaze over slightly as she nodded.

"Yes, yes, of course. It will be done." Mark Desmond smiled and clapped her on the shoulder, almost causing Jane to topple over.

"Good, good. Get to it, Dubbilex will go with you and oversee the closure." He strode away, leaving the pale blue G-Goblin that had been tailing them behind. The Genomorph in question, a horned bipedal creature with fin-like ears, was wearing white hospital style clothing and a neutral expression. Dr Lewis nodded to him in a wordless greeting before turning and walking back to her labs. Her workspace was on the other side of the facility from Project Kr where she had been talking to Dr Desmond so she had to pass many of the Genomorphs. Hulking G-Trolls loped along wide sterile corridors and G-Goblins that looked like Dubbilex rushed around, nimbly dodging the human scientists that walked the halls they all shared. Dr Lewis sighed and the G-Gnome on her shoulder fidgeted as the glow out of the corner of her eye increased slightly.

They reached the door to her lab and it slid open without a whisper of sound after she had keyed in her code. The centre of the grey space was taken up the metal cloning pod that curved away to the ceiling like some sort of modern art sculpture; above it was a cold steel nameplate that declared it to be 'Project ThKr2'. The pod itself was different to the other pods that had contained full-grown specimens. Her pod was filled with a reddish fluid that simulated amniotic fluid; the type you would find in the womb. Jane Lewis sighed again and touched the warm curved glass. The eight and a half month old baby girl inside kicked her feet, happily unaware of her creator's intentions.

"Doctor Lewis? Are you quite alright?" asked Dubbilex in a quiet voice. The G-Gnome on her shoulder squeaked as another unfamiliar presence brushed her mind but it quietened and fell into a semi-slumber as the unfamiliar presence increased.

"No, Dubbilex, I am not alright. It is wrong of us to do this." Jane whispered to the quiet lab.

"Because there is still more to learn?" The G-Goblin asked, his fin like ears twitching in the artificial air currents. Jane Lewis looked at him sadly.

"No. That was just what I told the Director." Her hand ghosted over the glass closest to the baby girl who had wisps of dark hair that curled away from her fragile skull. "She is a flawed subject but she is so young. She deserves a go at life like the rest of us."

"Flawed? I was unaware of this." Jane Lewis nodded, her pale hair swaying as her head bobbed.

"Yes, her particular combination of DNA is flawed in that we can't predict whether she will develop powers like her parents. She has the genes to do so but they may not be activated because of her unusual genetic structure." The small scientist growled in frustration. "They knew that would be a problem from the beginning because of one of the DNA donors we used. They knew this would be a problem right from the start! Why did they have me make her, only to kill her because of a problem they already knew about? Why?" Her voice cracked and she moved away from the cloning pod before sitting down heavily in the chair by her desk. Dubbilex didn't speak, his black eyes darting from the baby girl to the scientist before he finally rested them on the baby; his back straightened as he reached his choice but he sighed in defeat, he shouldn't have tried to convince himself that he wouldn't do this. Jane Lewis' head rose and she frowned at him.

"What?" Dubbilex cleared his throat and the G-Gnome on the Doctor's shoulder roused itself.

"I said, Doctor Lewis, that you are clearly distraught over the end of your project. Go back to your home and rest. I will shut down your project for you." She frowned even more deeply and would have spoken again but Dubbilex spoke before she could even form a single syllable. "Go, go! I can handle it from here." Dr Lewis' G-Gnome began to glow again and she nodded, dazed, before walking out of the door. The door slid shut behind her, leaving the pale blue G-Goblin alone in the room. He hurried over to the main console and quickly began to type. A message soon popped up on the screen:

'Are you sure that you want to end the artificial womb program prematurely? Y/N'

He pressed 'Y' and a mechanical whirring sound, which was about as loud as a coffee machine grinding beans, echoed through the laboratory. The pod moved slowly until it was horizontal, the baby inside was not jostled in any way because of the slow descent. The fluid drained away slowly as a robotic arm inside the pod carefully detached the lab-grown placenta from the baby. All the fluid had drained and the baby girl was lying on a soft pad in the centre of the pod, waving her arms and legs in the new air and blinking a set of light blue eyes in the stark lighting of the lab.

The robotic arm that had detached the placenta gently cut the cord and sowed it shut; another arm with a sponge attachment appeared and quickly cleaned the blood and fluid away from the baby who started to cry. Dubbilex grimaced and typed in a command into the main console. A faint mist of harmless sedative filled the pod and the baby girl fell asleep as the robotic arms retreated back into their designated spots before becoming inert themselves.

The pod opened with a faint hiss and Dubbilex glided over to the storage units on the wall to retrieve a soft blanket before he walked towards the pod, the blanket held almost like a shield. He wrapped the baby girl carefully in the blanket and lifted her out of the pod; just remembering in time that he should support the head. He could hear the faint thrum of a new consciousness touching the edge of his own mind. She was the youngest subject he had ever met. Dubbilex allowed himself a faint smile as he marched towards the door and keyed in the code. It opened and he peered outside, quickly confirming that he had been right; there were no other minds near him. The humans were busy elsewhere and the G-Trolls and G-Goblins only really were around the busy labs; they tended to stay away from the empty spaces of labs that had once held Genomorphs like themselves.

Dubbilex moved quickly to the stairwell and climbed, confident that the human guards would not be watching him. He had laid a suggestion earlier in the minds of the G-Gnomes that controlled them after he had learned about the fate of Project ThKr2. Of course, at the time he hadn't been sure that he would end up spiriting away the subject but the G-Goblin liked to plan for every eventuality.

He moved silently up the stairs, the baby in his arms still sleeping soundly. He hoped that Jane Lewis would not be too distraught over this, she was a kind woman and unsuited for Cadmus; Dubbilex liked her immensely.

He reached the first above ground level, the office complex that the world saw when they looked at Cadmus; unaware of the world changing technology that took place beneath their feet. The little girl in his arms stirred briefly before settling down again. The pale blue G-Goblin felt a small thread of worry worm its way through his mind; he would not have much time. He opened the door at the top of the stairwell and headed to the garage, where he knew two soldiers stood on guard. He silently slinked from shadow to shadow, planting suggestions in the minds of the guards near him so that they didn't see him or the precious bundle in his arms. He entered the garage through the inner doors on the far side of the office from the stairwell and walked over to an SUV with blacked out windows.

'_Come here.'_ He telepathically ordered one of the guards, a young man with faint stubble speckling his chin. The other guard stayed where he was, unable to see or hear what was going on because of Dubbilex's meddling. The unshaven guard approached with glazed eyes.

'_Open the car.'_ The car was unlocked and Dubbilex climbed into the back seat of the vehicle. The young guard got in the front and the G-Goblin brushed the mind of the other guard who was stationed in the garage.

"Jameson here, Michaels is taking one of the trucks on a quick patrol of the area." The older guard, Jameson, said into the microphone that was a part of his radio as he activated the door controls that began to open the door itself. There was a burst of radio static in approval and Michaels turned on the car before smoothly pulling away just as the garage door was raised high enough. They drove out of the complex, the gate opening for them, and Dubbilex pressed down his feeling of exhilaration. The baby in his arms stirred again, this time for longer and he mentally ordered Michaels to drive to the back of the nearest hospital. The baby started to snuffle slightly so the G-Goblin brushed her fragile bird-like mind with a wave of calm. She settled down again but his worry only increased as the black SUV drove along the dark roads. The car began to slow down and Dubbilex tightened the hold he had on the baby as they made the turn that would take them to the back parking lot of the hospital.

Michaels parked the car in the almost empty lot and turned off the engine. His mind was so heavily controlled that there wasn't a whisper of rebellion as he took the baby from the outstretched arms of the G-Goblin. Dubbilex stayed in the car but he formed a temporary linked between his mind and Michaels'. The G-Goblin sat stock still on the backseat of the car, all of his attention fixed on Michaels as he walked over the concrete expanse; pulling a black baseball cap down so that his face was not visible to anyone or anything watching from above.

The young guard entered the hospital through a back door and avoided the security cameras as best as he could though the security was not airtight by any means. He climbed the stairwell to the first floor, where Dubbilex could feel the minds of the janitorial staff that had just started work.

Michaels opened the door slowly so that only a whisper of air penetrated the quiet hallway. He slipped through the small gap he had made and Dubbilex made sure that he remembered not to knock the baby. There was a bathroom a few steps from his entry point, in which Dubbilex could only sense the mind of one man, and Michaels quickly strode over to it before entering. The young guard placed the baby down on the counter by the sink and left before the other man in the bathroom could exit his stall. There was a faint shout behind him as Michaels went down the stairs so the guard increased his pace as he left by the back door he had come in by. He jogged over to the black SUV, opened the driver's door and sat down in one smooth movement. The key was turned in the ignition and the guard smoothly pulled away from the parking lot and back out onto the streets before the man inside the bathroom could even raise the alarm with hospital security.

Dubbilex allowed himself a sigh of relief as they sped towards the Cadmus Complex. It had been foolish of him to do this, though he needed the practice when it came to fooling Cadmus systems. The pale blue G-Goblin knew he would have a lot to do when he returned; nobody could know of the continued existence of Project ThKr2. Nobody would ever know of her survival, not even the future Project Kr, a being who Dubbilex knew could change the fate of the Genomorphs for good.

The black SUV approached the Cadmus complex and Dubbilex settled back in his seat. A small part of him wondered exactly what Project ThKr2 would become and his lips quirked upwards in amusement; whatever she would become, it would be interesting.

**AN: So, I had this idea a while back and it sort of stuck. I tried to write it earlier and failed so here is my next attempt. Anybody think it's worth a go? Constructive criticism welcome. **


	2. Chapter 2

The Watchtower, Council Room, (15 years later):

The room was filled with a multicoloured haze of heroes. Capes swirled and boots squeaked as all of the assembled Justice League members moved to their seats around the 'u' shaped table; the seven founding members of the League sat at the head whilst other important members like the Black Canary and Superwoman were lined along the sides.

The faces of the founders were solemn, even the Flash was sitting upright and, unusually for him, still; Superman looked like his expression had been carved into a rock face millennia ago. The normally smiling Kryptonian stood and all eyes fixed on him instantly.

"I have called a meeting today to discuss the emergence of a possible new threat." His hand reached under the table in front of him and clicked a button on the underside of the metal. Blue tinged holographic screens sprung to life in front of the League members. "All of you have probably heard about this already but for the benefit of those who have been on off world missions, like Superwoman, I shall summarise. In Metropolis a new being has emerged who has the name of Watchman. We don't know the gender of this person but from the name we assume that it is in fact a he." A black suited figure appeared on the screens, 'he' was looking up at the cameras and bright blue lights glared from the dark depths of the hood that covered his head. "He has not committed any serious crimes but his actions are worrying enough that we thought you should all be apprised of the situation." Superman paused and his face creased slightly, emphasising the crow's lines around his eyes. "The Watchman is calling for a better system of accountability to be applied to the Justice League; something similar to what is already in place with the military. It is a good idea and has merit but the way he is spreading his message is…unorthodox to put it mildly."

The holographic screens started to blur as pictures piled upon pictures; the most striking photo showed the office blocks of Metropolis had darkened windows to spell out a message to anybody flying in the vicinity, '_JUSTICE MEANS EVERYONE'_. Superman sat down heavily as the message flashed across the screens and Kara or Superwoman as she was known, frowned as she saw how weighed down he looked in that brief moment; it was like he was Atlas condemned to hold the skies for eternity. Her eyes skittered over to connect with Diana's briefly and the Amazon inclined her head towards the younger Kryptonian. The Princess' eyes held a promise of further conversation later.

"The means by which he is spreading his message is why I supported the meeting today." Batman's gravel tone caused everybody to look away from the screens and snap to attention. "It is chaotic and…flashy. Although anybody has yet to be hurt, if the Watchman escalates his campaign then injuries, even death, could soon follow. If that happens I want everybody to be on full alert and ready to bring the Watchman in. His behaviour so far indicates that he would rather die or kill to avoid capture."

"I'm sorry to interrupt Batman, but what can one man do to possibly need all of us onboard?" Captain Marvel spoke up and a few others nodded in agreement.

"I was just about to get to that part." Batman's voice now held a rather dry note and Captain Marvel seemed to wilt under the Bat's gaze. "Superman has attempted on numerous occasions to speak with him but the Watchman has avoided any type of dialogue and later, any type of detection. The Watchman has powers that we don't fully understand which is why everybody is being placed on red alert."

"Whoa, wait, you mean that they have powers capable of…uh…tricking Superman?" asked Green Arrow and the Black Canary rolled her eyes in barely restrained exasperation.

"Not tricking, avoiding."

"Ah right, that clears that up." Green Arrow said sarcastically causing a round of snickers to fill the room; the archer and the detective had never had the best of working relationships.

"This is all we know so far but everyone shall be kept informed of new information as it arises. Be ready for a call if the situation turns bad. This meeting is over." Batman growled the last sentence. The holographic screens shut off and the Green Arrow was among the first to make for the exit like the furies themselves were pursuing him. The Black Canary followed him swiftly, snapping at his heels, and a faint yelp could be heard from the meeting room as she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him off. Kara could hear her lecturing him about sensitivity. A smile flickered across her face as she turned to leave; the Green Arrow would never learn.

"Kara, wait." She stopped immediately at her cousin's words and turned around; the other founding members had left the room swiftly and Superman was the only other person in the council room. Her earlier sense of worry increased. Kal-El sounded tired and washed out like he had been put through the wringer a few too many times. "Could you come to Metropolis for a bit? This whole business with the Watchman has been…tiring, I need a second pair of hands." He smiled a weak version of what Kara had heard Lois call his farm boy smile.

"Of course Kal-El, I've been meaning to come visit you for while anyway. It'll be good to see Lois and your parents on a regular basis again." Superman brightened and he rose, walking over to Kara before embracing her, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Ma is not very happy with you right now because of the radio silence. You may want to go visit her soon." Kara laughed and they both strode powerfully towards the doors.

"I'll make that a priority, if there is one human in the universe I never want to have angry with me it is your mom; I think even Batman is scared of her." Kal-El's eyes danced with mirth and he smirked as they entered the corridor outside of the Meeting room.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement." Kara's laughter was as hearty and unrestrained as the sun they both received their powers from.

"What rumours are you spreading now Kal?" asked a warm voice that was like hot chocolate on a cold winter's day and the two Kryptonians turned to see the Amazon princess, Wonder Woman, leaning elegantly against a wall. Kal-El placed a hand over his heart and pretended to shudder in pain.

"Me? I would never do such a thing Diana." The Amazon smiled and moved gracefully towards them, Kara had always thought that the Amazon princess seemed to half-float when she walked, like she was constantly ready to take to the skies.

"Whatever you say Kal, whatever you say." Wonder Woman's eyes smiled as she gently accused her old friend but there was a hint of mischief in her voice that could be heard plainly by the Kryptonians.

"I know when to make my escape so I should get going. Diana it was wonderful to see you again after your stay on Themiscira and Kara," he embraced his cousin once more quickly but lovingly, "remember to apologise to Ma before she finds a way to get a hold of you on the communicators." He sped away in a blur leaving Diana to laugh softly in his wake and Kara to wince at the thought of an angry Martha Kent.

"It has been a long time since I have seen you Kara. I know Phillipus was disappointed that you didn't make an appearance during my stay, I think she was hoping to have another battle of strategy; your Kryptonian based tactics have been a source of fascination amongst many of the warriors." The Amazon's voice was not accusing but Kara could hear the underlying gentle rebuke that prodded her conscience as effectively as if she had been bound by Wonder Woman's golden lasso. The Kryptonian avoided eye contact and they started to wander away from the council room, moving without words towards Kara's quarters.

"Only Phillipus missed me? I thought Artemis might yearn for her live training doll." Kara tried to lighten the conversation with her tried and tested fall-back of humour but Diana only looked at her with a gaze that showed affection and exasperation in equal measure.

"Now you are just trying to fish for compliments when you well know that Artemis is still sulking after your last departure."

"Because I finally managed to dump her on her ass and left before she could demand a rematch?" Diana's lips twitched at the Kryptonian's dry tone.

"Partially though I think deep down she does also miss your company." Kara looked at the metal floor as they walked, her hand unconsciously reaching up to rub the back of her neck; she had never been good at the whole keeping in contact thing. When Kon-El, the Cadmus created Clone, had surfaced and had been in dire need of a supportive family member Kara had been away, hiding really by training in the Fortress of Solitude with the unsympathetic Jor-El and then on Themiscira with the Amazons; she hadn't known of his existence for several years and it still made her wince to think that she, a girl who had lost most of her family, had been so blind to a relative in need.

"Can I come and visit with you next time you go?" Her voice was quiet. Diana bumped her shoulder lightly against the younger hero in a gentle reproach and they both ambled into Kara's quarters.

"You know you do not have to ask, little sister." Kara smiled at her weakly before collapsing onto the reinforced couch. Her mind burned with questions so she fixed her gaze on the Amazon as she made herself comfortable on the squidgy chair and asked,

"So, tell me about Kal-El; why is he so upset about the Watchman?"

**AN: Okay, so, just to clarify, the Kara here is Kara Zor-El and not the Kara In-Ze of the 'Justice League Unlimited' cartoon; she is actually Superman's cousin. Yes I've given her a back story and yes, this back story will appear over time though I will throw hints in here and there. Also, just to make it clear, the Watchman is in fact Project ThKr2; the JL have gotten a few major details wrong and that story will unfold….**

**Constructive criticism is welcome along with reviewers!**


	3. Chapter 3

Metropolis:

A cool breeze curled lazily around Kara as she floated between the spires of the art deco skyscrapers that littered her cousin's chosen home. Below her feet the citizens of Metropolis cheered as the annual Founder's day parade floats made their way down the main street.

"Kara, is there anything at your end?" The static of her JL comm mixed with Diana's smooth tones caused the young Kryptonian to jolt in surprise and drop a few feet before she got a hold of herself again.

"Nope, nothing suspicious I can see from my position." Her face reddened slightly in embarrassment. She was supposed to be looking for the Watchman, not losing herself in her thoughts. Her eyes immediately started to scan the ground again, searching for the elusive black suited figure, when she suddenly caught sight of Clark being mocked by an altogether too cheerful Lois Lane-Kent (Her cousin-in-law still only used Lane as a last name in her articles though). They were standing near a stall selling Superman memorabilia and the female reporter was gleefully stuffing a Superman baseball cap on Clark's head while her cousin was trying to bat her hands away. Her snort echoed across the comms.

"Kara what is it?" Diana asked, exasperation lacing her tone.

"Sorry Wonder Woman, just laughing at my cousin." Thousands of feet below her, Clark's hands stilled for a second and Kara knew he had heard her. Lois managed to get the cap on his head while he was distracted and Kara started snickering.

"Kara, keep your thoughts fixed on the mission." Batman's growl emanated from her communicator and the young Kryptonian rolled her eyes as she continued to scan the city below her. The parade had been meandering through the streets for the last few hours and the Watchman had yet to make an appearance. Batman had guessed that the new threat was like the Joker and wouldn't be able to resist such a large audience.

Kara was using her x-ray vision to check the insides of the giant floating balloons when there was a short ringing sound that was exactly like an alarm bell cut short. She blinked, refocusing her vision, and frowned.

"Hey Diana, is there anything on the system about an alarm bell being tripped in Metropolis?" Supergirl began to turn in a slow circle as her eyes searched the city for the source of the sound. Other noises started to filter through to her and Kara could hear the hissing of a fabric bag being dragged across a smooth stone floor. Her eyes fixed themselves on the city's central bank, a public building that was known for its stone interior, and widened as she looked through the walls using her x-ray vision. "All operatives to Metropolis Main! The Watchman is in the bank!" she shouted, activating her communicator's small external camera before she flew as fast as she could towards the bank which had been closed like all the other workplaces for the day of the annual celebration. Air whipped past her face and she heard Diana's calm voice issuing orders to the league members who were on the ground.

Kara approached the bank and the Watchman's head turned to face the giant locked double doors of Metropolis Main as she burst through them, causing sizable dents in the wall on either side as they slammed into the stone. She crouched on the ground, legs tensed from her landing. Her eyes took in the black figure who was standing on the opposite side of the room next to a large dark gym bag that was bulging at the seams.

The Watchman wore a black bodysuit, not unlike the Flash's, and Kara's keen eyes could detect the flexible Kevlar strands that were embedded in the fabric. The material covering the face had a lead lining and Supergirl cursed silently; sometimes she wished her job was easier. The unnerving, cold blue light that flickered from the goggles covering the eyes drew her gaze and she wondered if the light was from some sort of internal projection that acted as the Watchman's computer. Both the goggles and the impenetrable metal mesh that covered his mouth were inside the full-faced lead-lined cowl so she couldn't see the wires or circuits that were undoubtedly a part of their construction. The suit covered the Watchman's entire body and not a speck of flesh could be seen. Overall though, Kara got the impression that the Watchman was on the younger side as his limbs in comparison to his body had that teenager gangly look, like he hadn't quite finished growing yet.

"I presume your friends are also on their way?" The Watchman's voice was mechanical and mixed with the sound of whirring that came from the mouth covering. The young Kryptonian couldn't help but wonder who was under the suit and why they seemed determined to hide any trace of their humanity.

"Yes, they are." Her voice was firm and Kara could hear soft breathing in her ear that was being transmitted across her comm; a quiet sign from Diana that she wasn't alone. "Do you mind telling me what exactly you are doing here?" The Watchman's slim body shook and Kara heard a mechanical whirring sound stutter from the mouthpiece. The Watchman was laughing.

"Down below you will find the answers you seek." Kara kept the same stern yet blank look on her face as her mind raced. Below? What was below the bank? Supergirl had to resist the urge to look down as the Watchman's hands drifted towards his waist.

"Stop right there! Don't move!" She ordered. Kara was willing to bet that he had a few hidden pockets in that suit and she wasn't about to let him pull out any kryptonite to use on her. The Watchman's head inclined slightly and his next breath whooshed out in a sigh. His hands them dropped something on the floor and instantly black smoke filled the room. She immediately ran forward to where the Watchman had been but her hands only grasped smoke. There was a sudden blast of air and Kara sighed as her cousin's super breath cleared away the smoke. She turned to Superman whose brow was furrowed as he looked at her, clearly worried.

"I'm sorry Kal. He got away." Superman smiled weakly.

"It's okay Kara. You got closer than I ever have. I never got a conversation out of him." Her comm, which had been on for the whole encounter, clicked off and Supergirl knew that Diana must have started to relay orders to the other league members who had been on the ground. The doorway darkened and Batman slipped in, stalking towards the two cousins like a panther.

"We need to check the vault. It lies beneath this floor." Kara groaned.

"Of course! That's what he meant by 'down below'." Batman didn't even spare her a look at that as he walked across the stone floor and to the stairs but Clark managed a grin as he patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry Supergirl. We all have our off days." She snorted and batted his hand away.

"You looked really fetching in that baseball cap by the way. Tell Lois I want pictures!" Clark opened his mouth to reply, and possibly insult her back, but Batman interrupted them again.

"Now would be nice Superman!" Both Kryptonians rolled their eyes. Kara hugged her cousin quickly.

"I'll get the bag he left behind back to Watchtower. Maybe we'll get lucky." The look on her cousin's face told her what he thought of that hope but he nodded anyway before speeding away after Batman.

"Wonder Woman, I'm on my way with a bag Watchman left behind." She spoke into her comm.

"Understood, I'll get J'onn to ready the scanners." Diana replied swiftly. Kara looked around the stone interior of Metropolis Main one last time before picking up the bag by her feet and launching into the air, flying in the direction of the nearest Zeta-tube.

* * *

Beneath where her feet had stood, standing in the vault, Superman sighed as he looked around the empty room.

"I don't suppose you have any idea how he managed to do this in the minute it took Kara to fly to the bank?" The Bat made no reply. "I thought not." Superman said and he sighed again.

**AN: As always, constructive criticism is welcome. I would also like to know what you think of the story so far. So, if you have the time, please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

The Watchtower:

The black gym bag lay on a desk in the gun-metal grey laboratory. The Martian Manhunter, Supergirl and Wonder Woman were all staring at its contents.

"Really? I mean seriously?" Kara's voice, laced with disbelief, echoed in the bare room.

"This does seem somewhat...unusual." The Martian Manhunter delicately picked up a bundle of pink Monopoly notes with his long green fingers and held it up to the harsh fluorescent light. Wonder Woman started to frown, casting shadows over her Greek features.

"Sister, according to Superman and Batman the theft must have already been committed when you arrived." Kara's brow furrowed in confusion and she looked blankly at the Princess.

"Well, yeah. What's your point?" Diana rested her gaze on the blonde alien.

"Why risk capture unnecessarily? What was the aim of this venture?" A soft gust of recycled air brushed through her black locks but the Amazon herself was as still as any stone statue in the Louvre.

"I don't know Di, to send a message maybe?" Diana gave a small nod but she leaned forward and stared at the multicoloured stacks of bills. Her dark blue irises were clouded with confusion and worry.

"But what is the message? If it were another villain I would say that it was a boast, a declaration that they believe themselves to be superior to us in strength and intelligence; an announcement of intent even. This," she waved a hand towards the table they were crowded around, "this is not the same."

"I concur, Wonder Woman. Watchman is not your usual villain." J'onn's voice startled both Kara and Diana. The latter's eyes cleared and she sighed, shaking her head, causing the harsh white light to bounce off of her gleaming silver tiara.

"Perhaps we will never know. However, I do have other questions we will need to answer if this investigation is to be fruitful."

"Such as?" Kara asked as J'onn placed the fake money back with the rest of the hoard Watchman had amassed that lay in a pile on the table before them.

"Why you? Why did the Watchman stay and talk to you? Superman has been unable to even make contact with him but you he communicates with and is generally pleasant to."

"Diana, it was a short encounter; you're reading too much into it." Kara's hands began to rise to stomach-level as she started to gesture, emphasising her words. "I think the Watchman would have reacted that way to anybody who had come. If, as you say, he planned to get caught in the act, then he must have wanted to talk to whoever came by to stop him!" Kara's voice rose as her frustration with the entire situation started to bubble towards the surface.

"What did he want to say?" Diana's words had a steely edge to them which the Kryptonian ignored as she threw her hands up into the air in irritation.

"I don't know! Maybe he wanted to show off that he could manipulate us! Maybe he wanted to have an audience! Maybe he just gets off on the thrill! It is pointless to ask these questions until we have more evidence to work with!"

"It is not pointless to try and understand the enemy!" Wonder Woman snapped.

"I didn't say that!" Kara stopped herself from speaking and breathed deeply before continuing to talk in a carefully calm manner. "What I meant was we can't do anything until we see more of the Watchman in action." The Amazon sighed and weariness seemed to weigh down her shoulders.

"You are right Sister. I apologise for my temper. I am just worried about Kal. I have known him for many years but I have never seen him so tired. This situation needs a quick resolution for his sake." Kara snorted and sat on a nearby stool.

"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have leaped down your throat like that. This whole thing has me worried." Her head whipped around suddenly as she looked around the lab and frowned. "Hey, when did J'onn leave?" Diana managed a weak chuckle at the obvious subject change; Kara had never been comfortable with emotional discussions as long as the Amazon had known her.

"Probably when we were arguing. You know the headaches he gets when we start debating." The Kryptonian started to snicker and amusement flashed across Diana's otherwise calm features.

"Debating? I haven't heard that one before. Blood-sport yeah, but you've never made it sound so civilised."

"We stopped before we started to spar over the issue, I believe that is 'civilised' for us."

"Oh come on, Warrior Princess. You enjoy the sparring more than those political debates at the U.N. Admit it!"

"As the official Themisciran ambassador, I could not possibly comment." The Amazon's face was devoid of expression but Kara could see the amusement twinkling in her eyes. Before Supergirl could reply, the doors to the lab slid open with a swoosh of displaced air and Batman entered the room with Superman following behind him looking like a big blue, red and yellow golden retriever.

"Was there anything of use in the bag?" The Dark Knight growled.

"Nope. Nothing. Nada. Zilch." Wonder Woman whacked Supergirl on the arm.

"The bag was filled with Monopoly money and rocks to make it seem heavier than it actually was. But what about the money in the vault? Was there any trace of it?" Superman sighed and perched on a stool opposite to his cousin.

"It had been moved into the janitor's closet." Both the young Kryptonian's and the Amazon's eyes snapped to him; shock evident on their faces.

"What?" Kara was finally able to articulate.

"It was another prank." Batman snarled. Superman sighed again and nodded towards the dark caped figure as he spoke.

"He's taking it rather personally."

"His prank wasted League time and his own. He didn't even leave some propaganda about accountability. I do not understand the logic behind this trick." Batman started to intently go over the lab results from the plethora of scans J'onn had conducted on the bag before he had left. Kal rose from his stool and patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"There's nothing that can be done now Bruce. We just have to wait, the Watchman will strike again and when he does, we will learn more about him and eventually we will learn enough to stop him." The Dark Knight didn't slump, he was never as overt as that in his emotional displays but he still appeared to accept the Kryptonian's point. Kara slid off of her own stool and moved to stand near her cousin.

"Until we figure out the Watchman's plan, I'll stay in Metropolis. I've been wanting to spend more time with our family anyway." Kal's eyes were warm with affection as he smiled at her, the skin on his face crinkling in happiness.

"See Bats, it's going to be fine if we work together!"

"Boy scout." Batman grumbled, causing everybody in the room to snicker quietly under their breath.

"Kal, is it alright if I drop by and help Kara from time to time?" Diana asked, her Mediterranean blue eyes fixed on the red caped man.

"Be my guest." He said and Kara clapped Diana on the shoulder.

"Hey, maybe we can do some sparring when you drop in." The Amazon inclined her head.

"I will look forward to it sister. I wouldn't want your skills to diminish before you face Artemis again. She will undoubtedly be looking for revenge after your last match." The younger Kryptonian sighed.

"Well, at least Themiscira gets a lot of sunshine. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

**AN: Thank you to those who reviewed after my last chapter. Several salient points were raised and I look forward to incorporating some of what was brought up into my story. As I said before, constructive criticism is welcome and I would appreciate your input. **


	5. Chapter 5

Southside (Suicide Slum), Metropolis:

Lashing rain pelted down onto the dark, rubbish strewn streets of Suicide Slum; the name given to the area of New Troy by the citizens of Metropolis. Even the shining city of tomorrow, what the world declared Metropolis to be, had its dark, seedy underbelly. Suicide Slum was often compared to Gotham with its pervading aura of simmering resentment and corruption. The authorities had long given up trying to rehabilitate the area though several articles published by Lane and Kent in 'The Daily Planet' had tried to keep the momentum of the clean-up campaign going. However, despite the well-meaning reporters' efforts, it had remained a waste land of perpetual violence and death as people were content to forget about the troubles under their noses and focus on foreign aid projects. The people of the Slum knew it was far more glamorous for the rich philanthropists to donate money to build a well in Africa than to pay for the rehab of a druggie who lived in Southside.

On this dark, rainy night, nobody was walking the streets of Suicide Slum. People were either staying indoors or drinking in Bibbo's bar, the Ace o' Clubs, and the homeless were squatting in empty warehouses by the river that ran by the area. So, nobody was around to see a manhole cover in the middle of the street pop open. Hands covered in black material gripped the edge of the cover and pushed it aside slowly. When the cover had been completely moved aside, the black suited figure of the Watchman climbed out of the sewer access point before replacing the solid metal cover with ease.

The black figure ran across the street and along a shadow filled alleyway. At the end of the alley he paused and crouched down by the wall on his left. His glowing blue eyes were fixed on the run-down building opposite him. It was a red brick apartment block which glowed with light that streamed from the broken windows that weren't boarded over. A man was bent over retching at the bottom of the stairs that led up to a pair of thick wooden doors which were ajar and strains of loud music came from within the building.

The vomiting man stood up and wiped his mouth before staggering away down the street. Watchman watched him go. Then the black suited figure turned its head, looking both ways along the street. There was no one in sight. The Watchman propelled himself across the road and into another dark alleyway that ran along the apartment block he had been watching. A rusting metal fire-escape clung to the side of the building but the ladder had been retracted and chained to the first level of the structure. The Watchman took a running start and jumped, his hands closing around the bottom rung of the ladder. He hauled himself up and clambered onto the first level. Then he began to move quickly and quietly up the fire escape, gliding as soundless as a shadow up the creaking metal construction until he reached the tenth floor. The window that opened onto the escape route showed a dark room but the door had been left ajar so light from the apartment rooms beyond spilled into the darkness.

The Watchman reached into a compartment around his waist and drew out a slim silver metal object with his right hand. It snicked open as he pressed one end of it and he gently placed it in the gap between the bottom of the old window and the rotten wooden ledge. The knife was jiggled and twisted until a faint clink was heard. The black suited figure used the knife to push the window up about an inch before he replaced the metal object with the fingers of his left hand. He closed the knife again and placed it back into its pouch before he reached a hand up to the side of his goggles. There was a metal bump on the top of the right lens which he slid down. Immediately the blue light emanating from his eyes dimmed and faded to black.

His right hand joined his left and slowly he started to inch the window open until there was a large enough gap for him to slip through. Landing gently on the moist carpet on the other side and keeping a hand to hold up the window, he grabbed a black metal tube from another waist compartment. It extended into a small type of jack which he fitted between the window and the sill. He gently moved his supporting hand away from the bottom of the open window and it settled comfortably on top of the jack. The Watchman then slinked over to the wall on the right of the door hinges and listened through the gap to the voices.

"Hey boss, we had trouble over in th' east side with some customers." The first voice had a thick Metropolitan accent, the kind those who grew up in the Slum had, and was the voice of the hired muscle man known as Ape.

"Is that so? Why? They didn't have the money?" The second voice belonged to the boss, Johnny O'Connell, who was a notorious loan shark in the Slums.

"Yeah boss. The new interest rates are causin' trouble with th' loudmouths. Say they don't have that kind of money. One of 'em said that Watchman is goin' to do sumthin'." Johnny O'Connell laughed.

"Yeah, like that black freak is goin' to do anythin'. Get my money Ape, break a few bones if you have to. No killin' though, Mr L don't want anymore 'negative media attention' at the moment. You know that bitch Lane will do somethin' if the innocent Suiciders start disappearing into th' river." The Watchman moved quietly from the wall to the other side of the door.

"Yeah, boss. You wan' me to hurt 'em when Supes is busy?" Johnny O'Connell was about to reply when the Watchman made his move.

He slammed the door open and leaped straight at Ape. The man was tall, his muscles stretching a yellowed tank top that was underneath a battered leather jacket. He had a military buzz cut and his nose was crooked and looked like it had been broken too many times. His jawbone was strong and he had a square face. Overall, he was a threatening individual that made pro-wrestlers look like wimps. But he didn't even have time to react when Watchman launched a fist at his temples. Ape went down like Superman confronted with Kryptonite. Johnny O'Connell had time to fumble in his desk for his gun when Watchman landed on the floor by Ape's body before jumping again; this time heading straight for the short, balding loan shark. His gun was ripped from his hands and thrown across the room and O'Connell was forced down onto the chair behind his desk. His eyes were wide and he was shaking in his seat.

"Who are you? What do you want? Do you want money? I have money! Let me pay you! I can pay you better than any of th' other scum in Suicide!" The Watchman placed a hand across his mouth, stopping the stream of words in its tracks.

"I'm the black freak you were just talking about and I don't want your money. I want you in jail but since there's no evidence against you as of yet, I'll have to settle for talking to you now." Ape groaned on the floor behind them and the Watchman, ignoring him, leaned closer to the wide eyes of Johnny O'Connell. "Put the interest rate back down to what it was a month ago and don't raise it again or I will rip apart every facet of your operation; from the whore-houses by the docks to your loan business here on the other side of Suicide." Watchman's voice lowered, his metallic tones taking on a menacing softness. "I know once I'm gone that you'll try and hunt me down and you won't do as I say. But remember this Johnny O'Connell: I know where you live, I know your face and the faces of your organisation but you," his hands tightened around the loan shark's mouth, "you know nothing about me, not even the colour of my eyes. I could be anyone, anywhere. Hell," there was the wheezing sound of mechanised laughter, "I could even be working for you right now. So do as I say _Johnny_ or I will carry out my threat and there is nothing you can do to stop me." The Watchman let go of the loan shark, patted the side of his terrified face and bounded past the groaning Ape who was starting to come to.

He sprinted into the room with the window he had entered the apartment from and dived through the open space, grabbing the metal jack with one hand as he landed. The window began to slide shut and the Watchman hurdled the metal railing of the fire escape, pushing off from the metal structure with his foot. He soared across the gap and hit the building on the other side. There were shouts behind him as he slid down a few feet before grabbing a window ledge with one hand and with his other hand he retracted the jack and fumbled slightly when he placed it back in a waist pocket. He then pushed off from the building and arced his fall downwards so he could grab the railing of the fifth floor level of the fire escape he had climbed earlier. Having stopped his fall again, he then jumped down to the alley, rolling when he hit the ground.

He leaped to his feet and bolted across the road. Men started to spill out of Johnny O'Connell's headquarters but the Watchman had already disappeared into the night, his tracks covered by the steady rain.

* * *

Half an hour later, on the east side of Suicide Slum, a black suited figure slid into one of the less rundown apartment blocks. The hallways of the block were empty, everybody sleeping or watching the TV if they had a set. The Watchman tackled the stairs two at a time and all but sprinted until he reached a faded red door on the seventh floor. He rapped sharply on the door and it quickly swung open, admitting him into the cosy apartment. The man who had opened the door was a large man in his thirties who had gained his muscles from working in the docks as a porter.

"I spoke to O'Connell. If he doesn't listen, let me know." Watchman said without waiting for the man to speak. The man's lined face crumpled with relief.

"Thanks man." He clapped the Watchman on the shoulder. "We really needed the help." The black suited figure inclined his head.

"You're welcome Wayne. I know you and Marissa are running low. How is Tim?" Wayne's brown eyes grew darker and he shook his head.

"Not good. The relapse has taken it out of him and the bills are piling up." The large man sat in a worn armchair, his shoulders hunching over.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Has the charity I told you about helped?" Wayne shook his head.

"They're still going over our application. Hopefully they should be done soon." The room fell into a deep silence that was broken only by the harsh metallic breathing of Watchman. Then there was the sound of a key scratching in the lock. The black suited figure moved further into the living room, out of sight of the door. The door opened and a pretty chocolate skinned woman walked in. She was wearing the waitress uniform for the diner that catered to the slum and was owned by a friend of Bibbo's. Her face was as lined and tired as her husbands but when she saw Watchman after closing the door and entering the living room, her entire face lit up. The warm smile that spread across her face showed an echo of her former great beauty that had been stolen away from her by the ravages of life. Marissa dropped her keys on the couch and embraced Watchman who awkwardly patted her on the back.

"You haven't been around in a while sweetheart. How have you been?" she said, her soft musical voice infused with the warmth you could see in her eyes.

"I'm fine Marissa. I'm sorry for my disappearing act but I've been busy gathering information on O'Connell." Marissa stepped back, but her hands remained gripping the sides of Watchman's arms. Her eyes bored into the dark goggles like only a mother's could.

"You've been careful haven't you?" Watchman nodded quickly and Wayne, who was out of Marissa's line of sight, suppressed a smile. "What's this I hear about you bothering the League?" Her voice, though still musical, started to lose its softness.

"I did not bother them. They chose to show up and I sent them a message." Marissa looked unimpressed.

"Uh-huh. What message?" Wayne's lips started twitching into a smile again.

"That I was not a threat. I had unlimited access to Metropolis Main but I didn't steal any money and I didn't attack Supergirl when she arrived. Hopefully this will show them that I mean them no harm." Marissa's hands fell away and she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.

"Or they could see it as you boasting." The Watchman stilled before nodding jerkily.

"They might do." Marissa started to breathe in and out steadily. The Watchman quickly started speaking again. "But it was necessary. They must be distracted with the public campaign for my work in Suicide to continue." Marissa sighed and nodded. A look of relief spread across Wayne's face at that gesture.

"I know sweetie. Just don't rile them up too much?" Watchman laughed mechanically.

"I'll try my best. Did you hear anything interesting in your shift at the diner?" Marissa shook her head before collapsing onto the couch that lay along the wall.

"It was as quiet as the grave tonight. The rain made everyone stay away." Watchman nodded to her and then to Wayne.

"Thank you both for your help. I'll be back in a week to hear more about O'Connell and his loans. Keep your heads down both of you." Wayne snorted and rose from his chair, his joints creaking with strain.

"I could say the same to you. Come on, I'll let you out."

"Goodbye Marissa." Watchman said and she smiled tiredly at him, giving a small wave. Then Wayne and Watchman walked over to the door. Wayne clapped him on the shoulder again in a wordless goodbye gesture before opening the faded red door. Watchman slipped away and was down the staircase before he could close it after him.

**AN: Thanks once again to an anonymous reviewer. I'm glad you liked that idea, I thought it was funny at the time. Constructive criticism is welcome as is your input!**


	6. Chapter 6

The Daily Planet, Metropolis:

Kara Kent, as she was known to the journalists of 'The Daily Planet', was perched on the edge of Clark Kent's desk. He was typing away at his computer, studiously ignoring her as he worked. Lois Lane-Kent was standing in Perry's office and from the numerous 'Great Caesar's Ghost!' that all of the newsroom could hear without super hearing, he wasn't very happy with her latest information gathering method. Neither was Kara's cousin Clark as Lois was starting to get shot at more and more. The door to Perry's office banged open and Lois stormed out with the Editor-in-Chief hot on her heels.

"Now Lois I know you feel very passionate about this story, but for the love of all that is holy, can you please stop antagonising the Suicider criminals when you have no backup? I don't want to have to put the story of your murder on the front page!" The white-haired man was gesturing with his hands as he spoke. Lois whirled around to face him and pointed her finger at him as she replied.

"There is something going on in the Slum which no other newspaper has picked up on yet, Perry, I'm on to a big story! I know it, you know it and they know it! Otherwise they wouldn't be shooting at me!" Perry put a hand to his forehead, rubbing his temples as another Lois Lane related headache hit.

"Oh, I can think of plenty good reasons to shoot you right off the top of my head." He muttered. Lois' eyes narrowed and her hands went to her hips.

"What was that chief?" Perry, sensing danger like a shark can smell blood, quickly spoke again.

"Nothing Lois. But would it kill you to be a bit more careful?" Lois inhaled, puffing herself up, and she would have unleashed a torrent of words but the Editor-in-Chief continued to talk. "Look Lois, you and Kent are my best damn reporters and I want to keep you which I can't do if you've been shot. So for my blood pressure please ease up a little?" He raised his hand and pinched two fingers together to emphasise his point. Lois deflated a little, sighed and nodded.

"Alright Chief. Just a little." Perry beamed at her.

"That's my reporter! Now get to work, I want that piece on Luthor's charity work in Somalia ASAP!" He then turned and re-entered his office, shutting the door behind him. Lois stalked back over to her desk which faced Clark's. Kara couldn't help but smile at her and her cousin-in-law gave her a grudging look in return.

"How come you're here Kara?"

"I ask myself that question every day." Clark muttered, his fingers blurring over the keyboard. Kara rolled her eyes and whacked him around the back of his head.

"I'm waiting for Diana to show up. I told her I'd meet her here before we go out on the town." Lois looked at her, her eyes showing the interest mixed with suspicion that lingered beneath the surface.

"Going anywhere interesting?" The reporter asked in a forced casual tone.

"Nope." Kara replied. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her cousin shaking his head.

"Nothing new going on I should know about?" Lois asked, fishing for information.

"Not a thing." The young Kryptonian replied, a measured look of innocence adorning her face.

"Oh damn it Kara, you're doing that on purpose!" Lois snapped and huffily sat down in her chair. Kara Kent burst into laughter at the look on her cousin-in-law's face.

"Sorry Lois, I couldn't resist. Diana is just coming to spar with me and keep me company on one of my regular nights out." Lois fixed her with the evil eye for a second before sighing and slumping further into her chair.

"Hey, I don't suppose you've been to Southside on one of your nights out have you?" Clark's hands stilled, fingertips resting lightly on the keys.

"No, not recently. I was going to swing by last week but then the robot squid thing happened and I haven't had a chance since. What is the story about?" Lois looked around quickly, making sure that none of the other reporters were listening in on the conversation. Then she sat up and leaned towards Kara slightly.

"There's something going on in Suicide." Clark scoffed quietly and Lois quickly grabbed a discarded ball of paper and threw it at his head. "Mr I-Know-Everything-That-Happens-In-Metropolis over there thinks I'm overreacting but, well, the technically legal organisations like Johnny O'Connell's loan business have started to change how they operate."

"No they haven't Lois. I'd know if they had." Clark declared, tapping his ear with one hand. It was the wrong thing to say, Kara could see Lois was about to start yelling again so she quickly interjected.

"What do you think has changed Lois?" The female reporter sent her a grateful look and Clark started typing again.

"Well, Superman has been busy more and more recently with League business. Everyone knows that right? But, here's the thing, somehow they've only started enforcing their business when Superman is away. They know when he is gone or busy somewhere else."

"Coincidence." Clark muttered and Lois threw him a dirty look before she carried on speaking.

"Yeah, these organisations never work together and normally I would agree with Clark over there but this is different. They don't operate at all times and more when Superman is away, they only operate when he is gone. That sounds like some sort of criminal information hub, which could be a really big thing because if they've started collaborating to share information, what's next? Collaborative crime?" Kara's cousin was mumbling under his breath but she ignored him as she thought over Lois' words.

Kal had a tendency to be pigheaded when it came to what was best for Metropolis; Diana had called him a possessive nanny one time. If Lois was right, and she could well be (the woman had a talent for chasing down what seemed to be ridiculous theories and proving them to be hard truths), then, well, something big was happening in Metropolis, right under the nose of a founding member of the Justice League.

"You know, I think I should go to Southside soon. I'll tell you if I see anything interesting Lois." The female reporter jumped up from her seat and wrapped the young Kryptonian in a hug. Over her cousin-in-laws shoulder, Kara could see a hunched Diana walking in through the doors to the newsroom; her civilian identity completely intact.

"Favourite in-law!" Lois exclaimed, her voice filled with warmth, before bouncing back into her seat and beginning to type feverishly on the computer. Diana dodged her way across the newsroom, coming closer and closer to Kara.

"Lane, I want that Luthor piece!" Perry bellowed from a now open office door. Lois rolled her eyes and waved dismissively at him with one hand as she typed with the other. Diana finally reached the young Kryptonian and embraced her in a gentle hug that used only a fraction of the Amazon's strength.

"Are you ready to go?" Diana asked. Her voice still held a faint hint of a Grecian accent as she spoke even though she had mostly lived in the USA for the past two decades or so. Kara just nodded and, with a wave to her cousin and his wife, she interlocked her arm with Diana's. They left the news building quickly, leaving behind them the continuous hustle and bustle of a paper dedicated to the 24 hour news cycle.

"So, Lois had an interesting theory about Southside. She thinks there is some sort of criminal information organisation going on." Kara said.

"What does Clark think?" The Kryptonian rolled her eyes.

"He dismissed it. You know what he is like when it comes to this city." Diana laughed and her laughter sounded like the music played at a pre-hunt gathering on Themiscira.

"Shall we go take a look then?"

…

Ten minutes later, Wonder Woman and Supergirl were flying lazily over the dark streets of Suicide Slum. The sun was embracing the sea as they reached the area so the shadows cast by the run down apartment blocks were long and stretched away from the departing light. The shifts at work places were being switched between day and night so they could see a lot of people on the streets below. They flew over a run down apartment building on one side of Suicide and Kara pointed it out to Wonder Woman.

"That's Johnny O'Connell's business; he's one of the bigger players in Suicide."

"Suicide?" Diana frowned, her brow creasing in confusion.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I sometimes forget you're not a Metropolis native." Supergirl shook her head and Wonder Woman chuckled.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Please do, anyway this area is officially known as Southside but to Metropolitans it's called Suicide Slum. Basically it's the Gotham of Metropolis, corrupt dark and seedy."

"Why hasn't Kal done anything about it?" Diana hovered about the streets, her earlier frown becoming more pronounced.

"Well, as Clark he's been keeping the pressure on the Slum with reports on its status but the rich of Metropolis are the 'out of sight, out of mind' type so he's fighting a losing battle there. As Superman, he patrols the area regularly and does what he can but he can't operate outside of the law too much and to tackle Suicide he'd have to go all 1984 on it which is a big no-no with Amanda Waller after they learned about the Justice Lords." Kara tried to keep a defensive tone out of her voice but she didn't really succeed as Diana flew closer to her and rested a light hand on her shoulder.

"What about the police or the politicians?" Supergirl snorted as she floated.

"The police gave up on cleaning up Suicide without help from the government so now they try to contain it as best as they can. As for the politicians, well, the Slum is a black hole when it comes to votes, it can't be cleaned up in one four year term so they avoid it like the plague." Wonder Woman opened her mouth again, possibly to ask more questions which Kara knew she herself should be asking, even if she didn't live in Metropolis as much as she used to but the sound of raised voices reached them from above. Supergirl raised an eyebrow at the scantily clad Amazon who nodded and they streaked down to the top of a building so they could watch what was happening in the alley below.

There was a group of kids, the youngest was about twelve and the oldest was barely seventeen if Kara had to guess. The youngest was standing behind a thin, sickly looking girl with a mop of black hair (Supergirl could hear the breath rattling in her lungs) who had picked up a trashcan lid and was using it as a shield against the attackers. Her opponents were four kids, two boys and two girls, who all looked menacing and stronger than the lone girl.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing Stephy-Wephy?" one of the girls who was wearing a pink tracksuit mocked.

"Yeah, you can barely lift that thing, so why don't you avoid the pain and hand over the little munchkin to us." It was the oldest, a boy, who spoke this time; Kara could see a metal piercing glinting from his eyebrow.

"Nah, I don't think I'm going to do that." The girl, Stephanie, said. She hauled the trashcan lid shield up a little higher but Supergirl heard the hitch in her breath from the effort.

"C'mon Rogers! The kid pranked us. It's only fair if we have payback." The other boy yelled. It was interesting to note from their perch that none of the kids had tried to attack yet; the Kryptonian wondered if it was out of respect or laziness.

"Then prank him back, don't beat the crap out of him." Stephanie Rogers spoke in a calm even tone but it was failing to deflate the group. Metal-Piercing kid moved forwards, reaching out to punch her. Stephanie used her shield but she was still forced backwards and into the younger kid who hadn't had the good sense to dodge. The other kids were moving in when Diana chose to make her move.

Wonder Woman jumped from the roof and landed in the dark back street, standing behind the young prankster and his defender. Supergirl moved to the mouth of the alley.

"Now, what is going on here?" Diana asked in a steely tone that evoked Kara's memories of her mother. The Amazon's hands were on her hips and she looked very unhappy. The four teenagers who had been about to attack stopped dead.

"Err…we had a difference of opinion?" The younger boy voiced their excuse hesitantly. There was a snort from the pile of limbs and Stephanie Rogers carefully extracted herself from the tangle. Diana's face became as hard as stone.

"I see." The group in front of her wilted under her gaze.

"Uh, we'll just go home?" The girl in the pink tracksuit half-said half-asked.

"This behaviour is not acceptable. I will be patrolling this area for the next few weeks; don't let me catch you having a _difference of opinion_ with anybody else. Do I make myself clear?" All of the teenagers nodded and, turning as one body, they ran for it. Kara moved aside to let them past, her lips twitching in a barely suppressed smile of amusement. Under the warm maternal exterior of Wonder Woman, there lay a very scary individual that most people didn't believe existed. It always made Kara laugh when Diana surprised people with that side of her; seriously, did people think that the Amazons had all those swords and spears for the hell of it?

"Thanks for helping." The little prankster piped up, his voice quiet and small. Diana immediately changed from being scary to the warm figure that was loved by millions.

"Are you both well?" The two kids nodded and Stephanie shed her shield, placing it carefully back on the trashcan it had come from. Her breathing had quietened a little but it had a breathless quality to it that worried Kara.

"Hey, why don't we escort you home and you can tell us how you got into that mess?" The young girl favoured her with a suspicious look, narrowing a set of light blue eyes. "Look, those kids won't attack you again if they see us with you and maybe we can give you some advice about not getting into trouble again." The boy prankster hit Stephanie's arm lightly before he moved forwards and out of the alley, she tagged along with him as an apprehensive shadow. Diana raised a brow at Kara when the kids' backs were turned to her. The Kryptonian responded with a shallow shrug that said 'May as well'.

"My name's Evan. She's Stephanie. We live at the group home not far from here." The boy had floppy brown hair and sparkling leaf-like eyes that declared him a troublemaker at heart. His voice was stronger than it had been and his little white face was regaining some colour.

"My name is Supergirl and you've met Wonder Woman." Diana nodded to them pleasantly with a smile on her face.

"So what was that about a prank?" Evan laughed but Stephanie rolled her eyes. The strange group began to walk, the boy leading the way as he answered.

"It was just a few glitter confetti bombs. Nothing that hurt them but they're kind of sore about people laughing at them."

"He also stopped to gloat which didn't help." Stephanie added dryly. Evan just cackled, practically rubbing his hands together in glee as they turned onto another street.

"It was worth it! Did you see the looks on their faces?" The young girl repressed a smile.

"Still, perhaps you should refrain from pranking them for a few weeks, until they are no longer so angry?" Diana suggested gently. Kara noted that she didn't tell him to stop pranking altogether and she smiled slightly, the Princess always had a bit of a soft spot when it came to kids. Evan nodded and smiled brightly up at the Amazon.

"So, Stephanie, where did you learn how to use a shield like that? You managed to block his punch pretty well with it." The girl hesitated, looking like she was searching for an acceptable answer.

"Oh, she stands up for other kids all the time!" Evan burst into the conversation. Stephanie threw him a despairing look that reminded Supergirl of the looks Batman aimed at the Flash.

"Ah, you are a warrior then." Diana stated, a smile flitting across her face.

"I don't like bullies." Stephanie declared, lifting her light blue eyes to meet the Amazon's with a fierce gaze. Wonder Woman's smile became more permanent as the young girl showed her inner spirit.

"Neither do I, young one." Evan stopped by a set of steps next to a small terraced house that looked like the rows of red brick town houses you'd find in New York.

"Thanks for your help!" he said before bouncing up the steps and using a set of keys to let himself in. Stephanie shook her head and turned to them.

"If you need help again, call and if I can hear you, I'll come." Kara made the offer but she didn't think the Suicider kid would ever take it. The Kryptonian had to at least try to help though, she couldn't do anything else. Stephanie looked surprised but she quickly covered it up as she replied.

"Thanks, but, just so you know," she smiled in a self-deprecating manner, "I had 'em on the ropes." Then she walked inside before either of the two superheroes could come up with a retort. As the door shut behind the girl, Diana burst into laughter.

"Oh that girl reminds me of you!" She continued to chortle as Kara glared at her, "You even have the same eyes!" Supergirl whacked Wonder Woman on the arm and jumped into the air, the Amazon quickly followed her, seeking revenge for the hit.

…

Inside the group home, Stephanie leaned heavily against a wall. Her hand was laid flat out against the wallpaper, seeking support.

"You okay, Steph?" Evan asked in a worried tone. She waved him away.

"I'm fine Ev. Just having a bad day, you know?"


End file.
